Horror – Page 3 – We Are Movie Geeks

BLINK TWICE – Review

Naomi Ackie stars as Frida in director Zoë Kravitz’s BLINK TWICE, an Amazon MGM Studios film.
Photo credit: Carlos Somonte. Courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios. © 2024 Amazon Content Services LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Zoë Kravitz’s directorial debut BLINK TWICE starts out with a great deal of promise but ultimately fails to live up to its promise. The target Kravitz appears to be aiming for is a GET OUT-style smart horror thriller, with a set-up the recalls both KNIVES OUT and THE MENU, where a select group of beautiful people on a private island with wealthy types, an island where things go very wrong. In this case, the island is owned by tech billionaire Slater King (Channing Tatum), who invites a pair of waitresses who have dressed up to crash his posh cocktail party, Frida (Naomie Ackie) and Jess (Alia Shawkat), to join him and his friends for a couple of days on his private island. It’s a dream come true for Frida, the reason she had dressed up to crash the party to catch the billionaire’s eye.

What starts out like a Disney-ish meet-cute romantic fantasy, with Frida and Jess whisked away on a private jet, plied with champagne, and then ensconced in little bungalows filled with clothes and luxurious supplies, has some creepy foreshadowing. There is some scandal around Slater King, dealing with something that happened at parties with a #MeToo vibe followed by a unconvincing public apology. Nonetheless Frida is enamored with the handsome billionaire, although when Frida is introduced at the cocktail party to King’s therapist, played by Kyle MacLachlan, she jokingly says “blink twice if I’m in danger” and the therapist pauses before he smiles. On the island, they are expected to give up their phones, and Jess jokes about whether the human sacrifice is before or after dinner.

Despite all that, the women quickly settle into a pattern of lounging around the pool, night spent dinning on fine cuisine and never-ending champagne, as host Slater King asks “Are you having a good time?” to which they invariably reply “I’m having a great time.”

And that’s where the film bogs down, going through iterations of that party scene a few too many times without any thing much happening. It works less to build suspense than to dissipate the little threat that had been created. When the horror/thriller finally gets underway, the events that unfurl are far-fetched and it really doesn’t make sense, or even hold one’s interest. Yes, horrible things happen but we see them coming from far off, which dispels any suspense, and the explanations really don’t hold up, sometimes in eye-rolling inducing fashion.

Naomie Ackie plays the central character, Frida, and on screen most of the time but the character is surprisingly underwritten, with little if any backstory and a romantic innocence that seems more fitting for a teenager. Ackie works hard to make the most of this thin material, while Alia Shawkat as Jess provides comic commentary, as well as an every-present yellow lighter whose true purpose is eventually revealed, to balance Frida’s romantic view, a view that circumstances upend. Channing Tatum is charmingly oily as the tech billionaire hosting this sinister party.

The film features a good supporting cast that includes standout Geena Davis as Slater King’s sister and assistant Stacy, his high-strung assistant, who combines a hyper-competency with a tendency to drop things as she runs around handling all the practical matters of having an island full of guests and more. Christian Slater plays Slater King’s right-hand man Vic, while Haley Joel Osment plays Tom, a bitter, washed-up star and gourmet meals are prepared by chef-guest Cody (Simon Rex). On the female side of the guests, another standout is Adria Arjona as Sarah, a “Survivor” winner who is a beauty with a special set of skills, while Trew Mullen plays stoner-girl Heather, always up for smoking fat blunts. Liz Caribel plays Heather’s pal and Levon Hawke plays handsome Lucas.

Adam Newport-Berra provides stylish cinematography heavy on quick cuts, visuals supplemented by heavy-handed sound design.

Zoe Kravitz deserves credit for aiming high, for a stylish, high-concept thriller with a have and have-not commentary, blended with a feminist one. The film is certainly stylish to look at, with great costumes and sets. While the cast is good, the script, co-written by Kravitz and E.T. Feigenbaum, just doesn’t achieve its ambitions.

BLINK TWICE opens Friday, Aug. 23, in theaters.

RATING: 2 out of 4 stars

TRIM SEASON – Review

If you’re in the mood for a splatter flick with more gore than logic, TRIM SEASON might be your ticket. We first see a woman in the woods killing herself as if driven by an unseen force. Cut to a city, where we meet a couple of twenty-somethings, Emma (Bethlehem Million), who is strapped for cash; and her big-sisterly pal Julia (Alexandra Essoe). At a bar, they’re introduced to a guy who offers them temp jobs trimming marijuana plants. It’s quite lucrative, paying $5,000 for two weeks of seasonal work. The recruiter drives them along with a few others to a remote forested region miles from the nearest paved road. Though the year isn’t specified, it seems to be set shortly before weed growing was legalized.

They’re met by armed guards, followed by the farm’s creepy owner (Jane Badler) and her two sketchy sons. Badler is gracious and hospitable, yet with an underlying chill in her bearing. The latter will, of course, come to dominate the proceedings. Emma, who started with more doubts than the others, soon learns they were not groundless. Her more adventurous friend Julia tries to keep her calm to make the best of their situation. When the plot’s essential bad things start happening to the ladies, it becomes apparent that there’s no escape from Badler’s turf and that something supernatural is in play. Not in a recreational sense of the last word before this sentence.

The cast is an assortment of the requisite personality types, played by relatively unknown actors, other than Badler. That’s a plus in these gore-fests, whether they’re comedic or suspenseful. There’s less predictability about who will die, and in what order, since that usually correlates with their relative fame levels. Deaths occur in a variety of icky ways, as the genre must generate. Little visual or auditory detail is spared. Ain’t nobody gonna be dyin’ quick and easy, no how.

The story is almost as sketchy as the baddies’ character. Questions will remain unanswered for those who concern themselves with the cerebral more than the visceral. But if blood lust is your motivation, dive right in.

TRIM SEASON opens Friday, June 7, in theaters and on demand.

RATING: 1.5 out of 4 stars

*A scene from TRIM SEASON. Courtesy of Blue Harbor Entertainment*

ABIGAIL – Review

An old saying goes that “You can’t keep a good man down”. Well, despite the meager box office returns for last year’s big Dracula flicks, RENFIELD, and THE LAST VOYAGE OF THE DEMETER, this weekend’s new monster movie believes that “You can’t keep a good vampire down”. Really, they just keep popping up, just check out those Christopher Lee Hammer Film classics (seriously, they’re loads of frightful fun). Ha, “down for the Count”…and enough of the “groaners”. Although this new flick’s working title was “Dracula’s Daughter”, this chiller isn’t officially connected to the Bram Stoker creation. For one thing, it’s set in today’s world, so a speedy beaten van replaces the horse-drawn carriages. Oh, and it’s got elements of a crime thriller. This tale concerns a “snatch and grab” crew who get more than they bargained for when their target is ABIGAIL.

The film’s opening moments introduce us to the title character (Alisha Weir), a preteen lass indulging in her passion for dance as she performs “Swan Lake” in an empty theatre. Ah, it turns out that someone else aside from the family driver is waiting for her to head home. Six black-clad adults in an old commercial van follow her towncar through the night, past the city, and into her gated mansion. As one of the crew hacks into the estate’s security system, a trio swiftly moves in. Young Abigail believes she’s safe in her bedroom, until the invaders burst in, and one injects her with a powerful tranquilizer. She’s placed in a large duffel bag, and the trio sprints back to the van just as another vehicle with Abigail’s father shows up. The van speeds away, far out into the country, and pulls up to another gated mansion, although this one has seen better days. They’re greeted in the library by the mastermind who has put them together for the “job”, the suave Lambert (Giancarlo Esposito). He explains that they will hide out there with Abigail for 24 hours until the ransom is met (plenty of food and drink are provided along with beds). He insists that they don’t reveal their own names, deciding to bestow “code monikers”. The surly leader is “Frank” (Dan Stevens). The slightly baked driver is “Dean” (Angus Cloud). “Sammy” (Kathryn Newton) is the loopy punk-rock “hacker”. The boozy “muscle” is “Peter” (Kevin Durand). “Rickles” (as in the the insult comic king, ya’ hockey puck) is an ex-military sniper (William Catlett). And the “druggist” who put Abigail to sleep is “Joey” (Melissa Barrera), who will be the one to check on her, though Joey will be masked. Lambert departs, as most of the gang hits the bar. Joey forms a bond with the now fully awake Abigail, though the the little girl makes an odd icy threat while putting out a creepy “vibe”. This alarms Frank who visits their prey and is more rattled when she reveals the identity of her powerful papa. He tells the crew they need to split just as steel plates slide over the windows and barred gates appear over the doors with a loud “clang”. Could the kidnapping have been an elaborate “set-up” to trap them? Then panic engulfs the criminals as something lurking in the shadows begins to strike…

Though she’s not the title character, the story’s main focus is the conflicted, tragic ex-combat medic played by the soulful Barrera. We find out some of her motives in taking the “one last crime gig”, which are also the reason Joey forms an intense almost immediate bond with Abigail. Barrera’s both tender and very tough as she clashes with her cohorts when they try to “lean on the kid”. Speaking of, the ads have let the “cat” (or is it bat) out of the “bag” on the “tiny dancer” (the crew’s codename for her). Weir switches from sweet innocence to murderous menace at the flutter of her tutu. Her dance moves turn “death stalk” remind us of the pre-murder “mamba” of “last year’s demon doll” M3GAN. And somehow Weir conveys that longing well after she reveals her true form. Much like Stevens who is the all too human monster in the story, a bullying blowhard who’s always looking out for “#1”.He’s engaging even as he sounds as though he stepped out of a late 40s noir crime caper. Stevens appears to be having almost as much fun as Newton whose Sammy almost becomes the audience surrogate as she is quick to bolt when things go too weird. Her funky free spirit lightens things considerably. Newton gets almost as many laughs as Durand’s Peter, the confused lunkhead who’s not used to responding with his brain rather than his fists, which are usually clutching a bottle. Catlett is more of a mystery as the tightly-wound triggerman, while Esposito is a terrific sarcastic snob as the effete master planner Lambert. However, the film’s real breakout star may tragically be Cloud as the hustling streetwise getaway man, who passed shortly after wrapping his role.

After jumpstarting the SCREAM franchise with the last two entries, directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett try to put a new spin on the old bloodsucker on the loose in a haunted house genre but mixing in a criminal team much like those bickering, but still cool RESERVOIR DOGS, and assorted other “heist” flicks. And it does indeed inject some fresh blood into the genre, while also exploring the idea of an immortal killing machine trapped forever in a child’s body that was a big part of NEAR DARK and INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE. Plus the filmmakers surprise us with the amount of humor generously sprinkled in (something that many newer terror tales lack). The gang can’t quite accept the supernatural, then try to recall the “rules” from pop culture (how to kill them, powers, etc.). And this movie’s take on the classic monster is interesting, especially in the look of the vamps, eschewing the twin fangs and opting for a row of jagged choppers that shred throats. Unfortunately, this becomes part of the problem with the flick, as the settings and characters are constantly drenched in the sticky crimson fluid. I kept thinking about the actors rushing to the showers after they wrapped for what must have been a looong day. This indulgence adds to the unneeded length of the film, as characters engage in double and triple-crosses when not tossing each other in the walls and antique furnishings (we get that vampires are strong…move on). And the action doesn’t even adhere to the “new rules” they have for the undead. Perhaps the plot is spinning its wheels to establish the time passage from the wee hours to dawn and back to dusk again. It’s a shame since there are lots of original flourishes on vamp lore, though the finale result isn’t nearly as engaging and graceful as the dance moves of that bloody ballerina ABIGAIL.

2.5 Out of 4

ABIGAIL is now playing in theatres everywhere

LATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL – Review

Being an avid fan of “old school” horror (almost a “monster kid” since I devoured “Famous Monsters of Filmland” magazine, built the Aurora model kits, and scooped up the Super 8 Castle Films abridged versions of the 30s ad 40s Universal classics), I try to keep an open mind to the newer films, even the “sub-genres”. One of those is the “found footage” chiller that probably established itself with its biggest hit THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT. It opened the floodgates for jittery, shakey phony home video slightly “tweaked” via software trickery. The multiplexes are so bombarded that I almost dread a new one. Oh, but an Aussie filmmaking duo has come up with a new “twist’ that keys right into another bit of nostalgia: classic TV not from the “golden age’ of the 50s, but the often “schlocky” stuff of the 70s. Plus it’s not from daytime or prime time (8 to 11 PM EST). I mean what kid 47 years ago wouldn’t try to sneak downstairs to the massive 19-inch console TV, sit close to the screen so you can keep the volume low (and not wake up the parents), and gaze at the “forbidden fruit” of LATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL? Oh, the night school day is going to be rough…

The big “conceit” is the existence of a talk show host who tried to topple the “king of late night” Johnny Carson and his “Tonight Show” on NBC. In the opening prologue, we learn of a seedy “upstart” syndicated network, UBC, and their “jewel”, the live show “Night Owls with Jack Delroy”. Its host (David Dastmalchian) is a slightly awkward Chicago DJ who’s now the headliner in the network’s NYC hub. Naturally, there’s a band and a dweeby stooge/sidekick, Gus McConnell (Rhys Auteri). It hit the airwaves in 1971, and soon…made no headway at all against Johnny. Jack’s constantly on the verge of cancellation, despite the influence of his membership in a private secretive millionaire’s club “The Grove”, until he interviews his wife, Madeleine (Georgina Haig), who is in a losing battle with breast cancer. After she succumbs, Jack leaves his show… temporarily. When he returns Jack decides to set the show apart from the landscape of late night by tackling controversial, often exploitive topics and courting confrontation (telling several guests to “hit the bricks”). This all sets the stage for the unaired Halloween show of 1977. After a twitchy monologue Jack brings out a “speaker for the deceased” Christou (Fayssal Bazzi) whose segment takes a truly dark turn when he’s rushed away to a hospital. Perhaps his exit was spurred on by a heated exchange with magician and paranormal debunker Carmichael Haig (Ian Bliss). But this is nothing compared to the night’s “big get” as Jack brings on scholar/author June Ross-Mitchell (Laura Gordon) and the subject of her book “Conversations with the Devil”, teenager Lilly D’Abo (Ingrid Torelli), the only surviving member of the Abraxas satanic cult. Actually, a demon they worshipped, Lilly calls him “Mr. Wriggles”, can speak through her. Soon the show goes completely “off the rails” when Jack pressures June to set up a “session” with Lilly and Mr. W, mostly to humiliate Haig. From then, the Neilsen Ratings are the very least of Jack’s troubles…

One of the busiest character actors, bouncing in and out of several franchises and genres (he’s in the MCU, the DCEU, Dune, the recent Dracula spin-off, even OPPENHEIMER), Dastmalchian truly gets a chance to shine in the lead role as the in-over-his-head Delroy, employing his comic “chops” in the TV monologue sets before settling into weasily desperation and the dread of his plunge into televised Hell. Perhaps Jack was most comfortable riffing into a radio mike since Dastmalchain conveys a near-constant “flop-sweat” making it clear that this guy would never dethrone Carson. He’s certainly not helped by Atueri as the cringyly awkward “second banana” who is easily rattled and demeaned. One of his main bullies is the producer of the show, Jack’s manager and “right hand” Leo Fiske (Josh Quong Tart) an arrogant, unethical opportunist. Much of that is true for Bliss as Haig, a pompous gasbag who fancies himself as a modern Houdini, though he’s playing his own “con” while flaunting his righteous superiority. Gordon is quite good as the morally conflicted doctor who truly cares for her patient despite the blatant exploitation of her trauma. And as that patient, Lily, Torelli effortlessly goes from a sweet helpful young woman to a taunting harpy who could be the conduit for fiery chaos.

Oh, the Aussie duo I mentioned earlier are the Cairnes Brothers, Colin and Cameron, the film’s writing and directing “tag team”. They truly score a “hat trick” with their third feature as they tread a fine line between satire and terror. Working with their artisans they carefully recreated the tacky period from the polyester suits (and massive neckties) to the TV set furnishings complete with multi-color graphic backdrop walls, and even the “stay tuned, we’ll be right back” art card “bumpers” (supposedly made with AI). Once we settle in and stifle our nostalgic giggles, the story shifts gears into nightmare territory as we become invested in the often caricatured “guests”. There’s even a nice nod to horror flicks of that era with the use of practical effects involving puppetry, prosthetics, and mood lighting (when they go to “commercial” the backstage footage is in docu-style handheld monochrome). Sure, we’re kind of stuck in the studio, but it never feels claustrophobic or “stage” as the feeling of dread increases By the final denouncements, we’re left to ponder the fate of the principals and how or who put everything “into motion”. It all makes for a most interesting exploration of TV talk show terror in the imaginative and audacious LATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL.

3 Out of 4

LATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL is now playing in select theatres.

NIGHT SWIM – Review

You know might feel really great, and completely relaxing, after surviving the often stressful end-of-the-year holidays? Why a refreshing dip in the pool of course! Oh, but you’re not near an indoor facility, so you’ll have to wait out the long frigid winter until the temps are near ninety or so. Well, how about making a virtual splash at the multiplex? And this “cement pond” doesn’t shut down with the sunset. But doing “laps” alone in the fluorescent lit waters can be pretty spooky. And that’s the inspiration for the first new horror flick of 2024, which may just make you “swear off” any notions about taking a NIGHT SWIM. Marco…Marco…

This tale of soggy terror begins with a flashback to the early 1990s. Late one night a girl of eight or nine spies her ailing brother’s motorboat doing circles in the deep end of the family pool. When she can’t raise her folks, the youngster decides to try and “fish” it out with the cleaning scoop, causing her to fall in, and disappear…and we’re in the present day. Former pro baseball player Ray Walker (Wyatt Russell) is checking out a possible new home with wife Eve (Kerry Condon) along with kids Izzy (Amelie Hoeferle) and Elliot (Gavin Warren). They’re not impressed with the “accessible” (Ray’s sidelined due to MS) townhouse that their real estate agent has shown. But on the drive home, they spot a gorgeous two-story house with a big swimming pool. Thinking the pool will be great for his physical therapy, Ray, along with Eve, makes an offer…which is quickly accepted. After they’ve unpacked, the family begins fixing up the pool until an odd dark brown bile oozes out of the drain. A “home aquatic ” expert informs them that a natural spring is just under the pool floor, and his crew can fix any potential seepage issues. Soon after the whole family enjoys the relaxing waters until…the weirdness really begins. Cider, the family cat, vanishes leaving his kitty collar floating under the diving board. Then Ray begins having memory flashes while underwater which leads to his health miraculously improving. But when things take an ugly turn at a big neighborhood pool party, Eve does some digging. She learns of the young girl in the flashback, and of other disappearances over the previous seventy or so years. Will her family become the latest victims in the pool’s twisted history?

Following up her stellar work in 2022’s THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN (she won a coveted St. Louis Film Critics Assoc. award), Condon provides a strong family matriarch, who’s ready to do the research and the legwork to get to the bottom (or deep end) of this mystical pond. Her Eve wants to be encouraging to her family, especially her stricken hubby, while trying to keep the peace, especially with her squabbling siblings. Condon even gets a chance to hone her action “chops” in the truly breathtaking finale. She’s a good parental partner with Russell, who gets to show his easy-going warmth as the father who may need as much nurturing as his kids. Ray’s frustrated as he recalls his “glory days’ until something “in the water” gives him renewed hope. And Russell builds on Ray’s underdog status making his turn to his darker impulses in the third act terrifying and heartbreaking. Hoeferle is quite effective as the big sister yearning to pursue a first love, while uneasy about her new surroundings and those eerie nights practicing for the school’s Christian swim team. As the somewhat timid and awkward kid brother, Warren projects a real vulnerability as he struggles to follow in his dad’s cleats and navigate his new environs. The film also sports a couple of nifty supporting turns by Nancy Lenehan as the loopy, clueless real estate agent and Jodi Long as the creepy, nearly unhinged former owner of the house.

Expanding on his 2014 short of the same name director and co-writer (with Rod Blackhurst) Bryce McGuire strives to establish an engaging family dynamic to fuel the story’s moments of deadly danger and mystery. Unfortunately, the domestic sequences feel sluggish, making viewers frustrated as they wait for another spooky “soaking” of suspense. The pacing also lets us ponder the more absurd and illogical aspects of the plot. The opening incident happened thirty years ago and nobody in the neighborhood, or the suburb, remembers. Wouldn’t the police, or at least one of the former owners, have shut down the pool after so many have vanished? Then the pool’s loopy secret is slowly revealed with elements of the 80s COCOON along with some biblical riffs. Finally, the last act payoff is amped up with another scary-possessed parent targeting the kids (done more effectively in last year’s EVIL DEAD RISE). Plus many of the terror “shocks” feel “watered-down” to get an inclusive PG-13 rating (maybe an unrated home video version is in the works). Ultimately the movie upholds a tradition of starting the new movie year with a “quick buck” chiller to fill the multiplex at post-awards time (at least last January’s M3GAN had a sly satiric bent). It’s an easy cliche, but NIGHT SWIM just doesn’t float, but slowly sinks. Alright, everybody out of the pool…

1.5 Out of 4

NIGHT SWIM is now playing in theatres everywhere

SALTBURN – Review

Oscar-winning writer/director Emerald Fennell bowled audiences over with A PROMING YOUNG WOMAN, her intelligent, taut thriller directorial debut. This year, Emerald Fennell brings us SALTBURN, a star-studded dark comedy dealing with the British class divide and privilege, with an unsettling, horror film slant. Even the film’s Gothic script title treatment sets the mood for this contemporary twisty thriller.

Set in the mid-2000s, SALTBURN stars Barry Keoghan as Oliver Quick, a bright scholarship student at Oxford who is eager to fit in socially with the upper crust as succeed academically. The academics are easy for Oliver, but social class aspirations are another matter. Finding himself on the outside, persistent Oliver eventually is befriended by handsome, charming, aristocratic Felix Catton (Jacob Elordi), one of the most popular students at his college. When Felix learns the working-class lad has nowhere to go for the summer break, he generously invites Oliver to spend the summer at his family’s sprawling estate, Saltburn.

There is a “Talented Mr. Ripley” aspect to this tale of an ambitious outsider worming his way into the upper crust but SALTBURN takes a different turn, into psychological horror with unsettling obsessive sexual overtones, some homosexual, plus a fair amount of nudity. This is not a film for everyone but it does deliver on the psychological horror thrills and features some startling, visually rich cinematography, gripping scenes and top-notch acting. Still, SALTBURN is not for the faint of heart.

Nobody does class snobbery like the Brits, where the class divide, not just wealth, still matters so much more than here. Felix tells Oliver to just relax and be himself, and that his family is “nice,” but really, you immediately know British aristocrats inviting an ordinary Brit into their world has the potential for things to very wrong.

Tension is in the air from the start, but things unfold in unexpected ways in this twisty plot. Oliver is indeed welcomed by Felix’s father, Sir James Catton (Richard E. Grant) and Sir James’ younger wife Elspeth (Rosamund Pike), and more coolly by Felix’s sister Venetia Catton (Alison Oliver). It turns out the family has a history of taking in guests, and Oliver is not the only house guest this summer, joining a woman consistently called “poor dear Pamela” (Carey Mulligan), who is going through a rough patch, and an American-born, biracial cousin named Farleigh Start (Archie Madekwe).

What looks like an ordinary aristocratic family at first turns out to be more eccentric than expected, setting up some uneasy dynamics. Actually, Oliver knows the cousin, another Oxford student, but Farleigh has not been as nice to Oliver as Felix – nasty, in fact. Farleigh is angry that Felix brought this socially-inferior scholarship student home for the summer, and Farleigh constantly reminds Oliver of his aristocratic superiority to him. But Farleigh himself is a bit of an outsider, as the child of a wayward sister who was taken into the family by Felix’s father. Sir James supports his nephew and pays for his Oxford education but Farleigh has no money of his own, depending on an allowance from his uncle. The last member of the Saltburn household is Felix’s sister Venetia, a beautiful woman but emotionally unstable person, who helps things start to go wrong, as they must, in this tense set-up.

While the eccentric family has this habit of taking in “strays,” the house guests are there only as long as they amuse the aristocrats, despite the polite assurances and seemingly warm welcomes. But what starts out looking like it will be an “aristocrats behaving badly” tale, soon goes down unexpected, dark rabbit holes. Things get very crazy at stately old Saltburn.

Every aspect of this creepy thriller is top-notch, including the brilliant photography, twisty story, and the performances by the gifted cast. There are some bloody moments, staged with stunning visual style, lots of creepy tension, and death comes to visit as well, in this horror-tinged, chilling psychological thriller.

Barry Keoghan has delivered a number of striking performances in supporting roles, most recently in BANSHEES OF INISHERIN and THE GREEN KNIGHT, films which have showcased his range. SALTBURN gives this talented actor a chance to shine in a lead role. And shine he does as the complicated Oliver, a character whose layers are peeled back in the course of this psychological thriller. Keoghan wrings every drop from this creepy tale, including startling, carefully-lit final scene that has him dancing through the grand house.

As charming Felix, Jacob Elordi delivers a strong performance, even more so than he did in PRISCILLA, where he plays Elvis Presley, and seems destined for stardom. Elordi’s Felix means to be kind, unlike some other family members, but he is inherently clueless due to his privileged upbringing, holding people to high standards that are easier for him to meet than some others less lucky.

While Felix appears the most stable of the Catton family, his sister Venetia is its biggest emotional mess, which helps trigger some of the madness that follows, and Alison Oliver gives a fine performance in the role.

Richard E. Grant is perfect as the unfailingly polite aristocrat Sir James, who plays the role of enforcer behind the scenes when needed. Rosamund Pike is gracious but cool as Elspeth but there are hints of a wilder past. Carey Mulligan is wonderful in her smaller role as “poor dear Pamela,” stylishly-dressed but emotionally weighed-down by a traumatic past. As cousin Farleigh Start, Archie Madekwe is great, as the snarky and bitter character, going from arrogant confidence to desperation as events unfold.

SALTBURN is an incredibly-polished film, with brilliant photography, nail-biting tension, excellent performances and taut pacing, but the nature of this disturbing tale means it is not for everyone, as noted earlier. For the right audiences, SALTBURN is a class divide, creep fest trip well worth taking.

SALTBURN opens Wednesday, Nov. 22, in theaters.

RATING: 3 out of 4 stars

THANKSGIVING – Review

Back in 2007, Quentin Tarantino rounded up some pals for a release called GRINDHOUSE, intended to re-create the experience of going to a drive-in for a schlocky double feature, complete with jingles for the snack bar and fake trailers for other movies. Funny thing about the way that turned out.

The GRINDHOUSE package did fairly well at the box office but the trailers eventually outstripped its performance by a wide margin. Robert Rodriguez’s MACHETE clip turned into two wildly successful (okay, highly successful for most, wildly for me) comedic gore-fests, with a third on the way, and boosting Danny Trejo into the stratosphere of celebrity status. HOBO WITH A SHOTGUN (great title, pretty entertaining movie) became a cultish outing for Rutger Hauer. Two other trailers stayed as such – Edgar Wright’s DON’T and Rob Zombie’s WEREWOLF WOMEN OF THE S.S. Eli Roth’s THANKSGIVING teaser preview is now the third of the quintet (HOBO wasn’t included in all versions of the GRINDHOUSE release) to spawn features.

In the others, much of what was in the trailers was repeated in the movies. Same for THANKSGIVING, though the original was set in the 1970s, and this one is current. Patrick Dempsey plays the sheriff in this holiday horror/comedy yarn. The family that owns a big box store in Plymouth, Massachusetts, opens its Black Friday sale on Thursday night, causing anger among many, and a mob of customers waiting outside to rush in for the bargains the moment the doors open. When the owner’s (Rick Hoffman) teen daughter Jess (Nell Verlaque) and some of her friends are seen through the glass doors jumping the gun, the crowd goes nuts and storms the store, killing and injuring quite a few of their fellow townsmen while fighting each other for the merch they crave.

Skip ahead a year. The disaster led to multiple lawsuits and claims by the victims, spurring gestures of atonement by the ownership that still left many grudges simmering. The town, as usual, celebrates its Pilgrim heritage with a parade, and many people donning those period costumes, including masks of their first mayor, bearing a fortuitous (for the audience) resemblance to the face covering on the dude from V FOR VENDETTA. Despite the previous disaster, they plan to open on Thanksgiving night again, but with more security in place. Many are displeased. Or worse.

The early social satire about greed, consumerism and Black Friday feeding frenzies soon yields to standard slasher traditions, as a mayorally-masked figure starts killing folks off in a variety of gruesome ways, with the owning family and those young friends primarily targeted. In a mashup of the SCREAM and FINAL DESTINATION franchises, there’s suspense in “who was that masked man?” and delightfully complex and graphic methods for racking up his (or possibly her) body count. The faint of heart should pick another movie.

Roth’s concept unfortunately outpaces its execution. The entire cast consists of all the standard types doing all the standard things in completely unmemorable ways. Some of it seems like an homage; at other times, a grimly amusing genre spoof. Also, most of the proceedings are severely under-lit – presumably to ramp up the foreboding factor, but actually obscuring the action, leaving viewers less sure of who did what to whom in more than a few scenes. Given Roth’s solid horror credentials, including CABIN FEVER and the HOSTEL series, one might reasonably expect a punchier finished product. Despite its shortcomings – including an odd ending – slasher fans will still find about as much carnage as they expected when they bought the tickets. And isn’t that what matters most?

THANKSGIVING opens Friday, Nov 17, in theaters.

RATING: 2 out of 4 stars

FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY’S – Review

With only a couple more months left in 2023, will it be the movie year of the toy? Considering the BARBIE box office bonanza…probably. That’s especially true if you throw video games into that category. We’ve seen those Super Mario Brothers, a nifty true-life thriller on the making of TETRIS, another non-fiction sports flick involving the motor-racing world of GRAN TURISMO. And now we go from brightly colored pixel ‘shrooms to whirring-blade-fueled horror. Really, a game that elicits fear as you rack up the points? Oh yeah, this one is so popular there has already been at least one cinema rip-off (using those Saturday morning funsters THE BANANA SPLITS which this official fan club member did not appreciate). It’s kinda’ how THE SWORD AND THE SORCERER beat Conan to the multiplex by a few weeks in 1982. Well, now here comes the “real deal”, based on the gaming smash, and its follow-ups, from 2014. So, can moviegoers handle FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY’S? Grab a slice and collect those tokens!

It all begins with an unlucky security guard making his final late-night “rounds” in the food and fun emporium. After the main title we meet the main hero, Mike Schmidt (Josh Hutcherson). as he loses another job, this one’s security at a mall. It seems an incident triggered a childhood memory in which he saw his kid brother Garrett vanish forever from a family picnic. Now, the only family he has (the parents are long gone) is his kid sister Abby (Piper Rubio) whose behavior has her grade school teacher concerned. She’s retreated into her drawings and talking to her invisible friends. Mike’s gotta get a new job, otherwise, haughty Aunt Jane (Mary Stuart Masterson) will swoop in and grab custody (along with the government moola). His only chance is an odd supervisor at an employment service, Mr. Raglan (Matthew Lillard). He thinks Mike is perfect for an all-night security slot at a long-shuttered kiddie franchise, Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza. After getting a neighbor teen girl, Max (Kat Conner Sterling) to watch Abby, Mike takes the job. The joint is creepy with its old arcade games and empty pizza boxes, but nothing is more unnerving than the life-sized animatronic figures in Freddy’s band. Naturally, Mike drifts off to sleep, but something new has been added to his abduction nightmare. Five mute children appear to block his way. He jolts awake and gets the feeling that something is watching him. Meanwhile, Max picks up a “side hustle” with Aunt Jane. She and her pals will break in at Freddy’s, trash the place, and cause Mike to get fired. So will this plan work? And what will happen to Mike and Abby during those remaining nights at Freddy’s?

Hutcherson excels at giving Mike a constant vibe of sweaty desperation. He’s haunted by his past and full of dread about the future, Can he take care of lil’ sis? Or hold down any sort of job. His nocturnal childhood “cage” may have just found a “key” through Freddy’s place. But this release may just endanger the one person he strives to protect. As that person, Rubio as Abby has more energy than most “spooky” kiddies in other flicks. She conveys a dark sense of humor while standing up to her often too possessive “big bro”. Masterson is superbly “hissable” as the prime villainess here, a wicked aunt rather than a wicked stepmother, who’s even more snarky has she :plays nice” with Mike and Abby. Also, there’s a nice turn by Elizabeth Lail as a sympathetic policewoman whose beat just happens to include Freddy’s. There’s a bit of a romantic spark between her and Mike, but Officer Vanessa’s main mission is to put him on the “straight and narrow” while providing the proper “tools” for his deep dive into the old place’s mythos. And it’s great to see Lillard out of the “Scoobyverse” as the off-putting “red herring” (or is he), Raglan.

To quote uber-producer of modern horror, while with Seth Myers, Jason Blum, “We made this for the fans”. And so, for newbies (guilty) you may be perplexed, and more than a bit bored. as those same fan(atics) squeal and scream with delight with every game reference or cameo. This makes it difficult to compare, but the end cinematic results come off as another rather toothless (of course it’s rated ‘”PG-13″) time waster. It’s stunning how all the big “kills” (including major characters) are done “off-screen” with the discovered carnage hidden away from view. Director Emma Tammi does her best work in the scary pre-dawn moments at the “fun place”, but can’t hold our attention during the talky daytime set-ups, since many of the principals are one-note despite the team of screenwriters which includes her and the game’s creator Scott Cawthon. The biggest problem is that the game’s main focus, Freddy and his crew, don’t get a lot to do. This is a shame since the producers eschewed CGI for some nifty puppetry from the talented artists at Jim Henson’s creature shop (they made a menacing cupcake). The pre-teen crowd should have a blast yelling at the screen during Halloween group outings or slumber parties but horror “hounds” may be dreading (howling perhaps) a sixth day after FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY’S.

1.5 Out of 4

FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY’S is now playing in theatres everywhere and streams exclusively on Peacock

PERPETRATOR – Review

Yes, it’s getting darker a bit earlier and the temps are finally (whew) easing up and cooling off. So many folks are thinking of Fall, and aside from sweaters and pumpkin spice everything, Halloween is on their minds (and in the aisles of several retail chains). And we’re ready for some good scary flicks, and not family-friendly fare like the failed reboot of HAUNTED MANSION. Now we’ve already hit the high seas with Dracula, maybe we could get a modern twist on the classic monster folklore. Is the setting for this flick another rotting ship or a decaying estate or castle? Nope, it’s a locale even more frightening, high school (Carrie White and Buffy Summers would heartily agree). And the villain? For this gory lil’ indie, it’s not clear exactly who or what is the actual PERPETRATOR.

Could it be nearly eighteen-year-old Jonny (Kiah McKirnan)? After all, she’s committing a bit of B&E (breaking and entering) when we first meet her on the dark, cold streets of Chicago. After a trek to the van of her “fence” to sell the “merch” and build up the bucks for a getaway, she’s back in the squalid basement apartment (perhaps they’re “squatters) she shares with her nervous dad. He’s noticed that her weird nosebleeds have become more frequent. And due to his own “plasma issues”, he decides that she needs to travel across town to live with his sister, her aunt Hildie (Alicia Silverstone). Jonny feels an unsettling “vibe” from her as she enters the dark, gothic brownstone. But there’s little time for a reunion as Jonny must get her attire ready as she enrolls in a fancy nearby prep school. Of course, that place is another level of creepy. The manic Principal Burke (Christoper Lowell) delights in staging “massacre drills”. The school nurse’s face is nearly covered with various bandages. And it seems that there’s a new missing female student every other day, as the bulletin board is filled with “Have You Seen…” flyers. This leads to more strange dreams for Jonny complete with eerie blood imagery. Over the next few days, she befriends several of the other young woman and eventually they zero in on a possible suspect in the disappearances. Jonny offers herself as “bait”, but will her bizarre blood behaviors and quirks lead to a capture or another flyer with her face?

Though the role referred to in the title is unclear, the story is carried by the compelling Ms. McKirnan. She’s up for the demands of Jonny, whether being tough (standing up to loads of jerks) or vulnerable, as she begins to open up with a classmate. Through the sneer and eyeliner, McKirnan lets us see the confusion in Jonny’s eyes as she tries to deal with the changes in her mind and body (this is puberty from Hell). She makes us eager to join her on Jonny’s journey. A bonus is her unique “hair accents” since her ‘do changes radically with each new scene. Oh, and her work with Silverstone really “crackles”. The iconic CLUELESS star delivers a quirky, mannered performance as the haughty, aristocratic Hildie (channeling a bit of Dame Judith Anderson from REBECCA or Gale Sondergard is loads of “B” flicks). On the opposite end of the intensity spectrum, there’s Lowell who takes the energy level past 11 as the nutty, frantic overlord of the school (he’s so happy during the “drills”). Kudos also to Melanie Libard as a mystery woman from Jonny’s past.

Certainly, there’s a lot going on in writer/director Jennifer Reeder’s newest fear flick (she’s bounced between indie shockers and shorts). The story moves along well despite several absurd plot conventions (a “grab” in front of the house). Many ideas are in play, but feel like scenes from several different stories, very different in tone. Is it a “coming of age” horror allegory (much like the recent BONES AND ALL)? Is it a variation of the “teen girls in peril” ala SPLIT? Or perhaps a riff on the 80s teen comedies with the cool but not that popular kids versus the uptight adults in charge. Thrown in is also a same-sex romance that feels hastily tossed in and forgotten. We even get a spin on inherited “mutations” though it may also be mystical powers (her blood is very…busy). The mystery elements aren’t too difficult to solve despite the full-head rubber mask and muffled speech of the “grabber”. And the humor falls fairly flat (really, a whole auditorium chanting the same obscenity). The Windy City locales add to the smothering gloom, much like Hildie’s “crib” and the school. We get an attempt to “tie up” and explain things in the last moments, but the denouncement feels hurried. The attempt to create a new “spin” on horror mythology is admirable, but the finished film is much less than the sum of its scenes and visuals for this PERPETRATOR.

2 Out of 4

PERPETRATOR opens in select theatres and screens exclusively on Shudder beginning on Friday, September 1, 2023

THE LAST VOYAGE OF THE DEMETER – Review

Time to put away the toys, the comics, and even the big WWII history book at the old multiplex for this week’s new (but a tad old) release. I say “old” since it springs from a literary classic, one that has inspired so many cinematic adaptations (actually it has left its “mark” on all manner of media). I seem to recall its main character as a possible game show trivia answer as to which fictitious creation has been played by the greatest number of actors (he’s close behind Sherlock Holmes, I believe). So, what’s the “hook” with this? It’s not just a “straight” retelling. No, the filmmakers have taken one chapter of the original novel and have expanded it into a feature film since it’s often just a minute or two in most versions. And so now we’ll get the full “scoop” of how that “king of the vampires”, Dracula. insured that this was THE LAST VOYAGE OF THE DEMETER.

This terror tale takes us back almost to the beginning of the last century, 1897. as we follow a speeding caravan through a twisty mountain pass on their way to a nearby seaport. That’s where the good ship Demeter is preparing to depart. Captain Eliot (Liam Cunningham) is there with his eight-year-old grandson Toby (Woody Norman) to assign the First Mate Wojchek (David Dastmalchian) the task of acquiring more crew members for the journey to London. Several old salts line up for the chance, but none are more eager than Cambridge grad, Dr. Clemens (Corey Hawkins). Wojchek rejects him (“those smooth hands…he’s not been working on the seas”). Then the wagons arrive via that caravan with massive wooden crates that “spook” some recruits. That and a near accident with Toby. prompts Eliot to hire Clemens. The young lad bonds with the doc as they meet the truly “motley” crew, who have dreams of a big bonus if they arrive in England earlier than agreed upon. Ah, but don’t spend that money yet. As the sun sets, strange things occur. The livestock perish, not from rabies but from something that has ripped them apart. When Clements explores the nearby cargo hold, he finds that the crates are filled mostly with dirt. But that’s not as surprising as the discovery of a near-comatose young woman, Ann (Ainsling Franciosi). Clemons attempts to cleanse her diseased blood through several transfusions. But will this weaken him and his shipmates as they discover that the animals were merely appetizers for the night creature that walks the deck under the moonlight? Can they possibly destroy him before his evil overtakes all of London?

For a vampire flick to truly soar (on bat-wings,’ natch) it requires a formidable force for the light, and here, rather than the ship’s captain, it’s the charismatic Hawkins as Clemens. From his first scenes, gambling near the dock, he projects a fierce, steely intelligence as the doctor fighting ignorance on all fronts. But he also has a real charm and warmth, whether bonding with young Toby (almost like a little brother) to his concern for the tragic Anna. Once she’s regaining her strength, Franciosi proves to be a great ally to Clemens as she pushes past her fears and channels her anger over being her village’s “sacrifice offering” to a monster. Cunningham exudes the proper gravitas as Captain Eliot while giving us a glimpse of his desire to be done with sea life. His weary eyes only brighten when he views his beloved offspring. But his other “ship son” is the surly Dastmalchian as the tough, cagey, and ever-alert Wojchek. Perhaps the most colorful of the crew is the entertaining Jon Jon Briones as the ship’s cook whose zealotry and fanaticism are almost as much a danger as the shadowy predator played with sneering animal savagery by Javier Botet.

As I mentioned earlier, screenwriters Bragi F. Schut and Zak Olkewicz have expanded on the “Captian’s Log” chapter of Bram Stoker’s novel. And they “flesh it out” with great imagination, making their crew more than just a transport for the book’s title character. They also do well with tough tasks as they create suspense even though we’re aware of the outcome, much like prequels in an ongoing movie franchise. Along the way they make the usual vampire story tropes fresh, especially in the sequences involving exposure to the sun. Best of all may be their take on the count himself. He has no need to be “wrapped in human skin”, no seducing or deceiving as he appears as a hellish “bat demon” (with perhaps a hint of the classic NOSFERATU vibe), who blends into the shadows before striking like the speed of a cobra. And be warned, no one is safe from his insatiable thirst. Kudos must also go to the costumers and art directors for transporting us back to the turn of that century and making us feel as though we’re on that grimy “working boat”. Director Andre Overdal gives the story a real sense of urgency in the opening port scenes while creating a heavy tone of impending doom. The mood on deck combines the beauty of the pounding waves with eerie foreboding, especially in the cargo hold as the crates become objects of menace. Unfortunately, after we’ve seen several “meals”, the pace slackens and the film’s focus softens (perhaps tighter editing would help). Still, the final showdown is impressive, though the epilogue seems out of sync with the rest of Stoker’s epic. But fans of the horror classics will enjoy this expansion, though the flood of gore isn’t washed away by the sea foam splashed up by THE LAST VOYAGE OF THE DEMETER.

3 out of 4

THE LAST VOYAGE OF THE DEMETER is now playing in theatres everywhere

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